title: Inability of mitogen-stimulated spleen cells from newborn mice to synthesize interleukin-2 receptors.
abstract: Spleen cells from newborn mice do not respond by proliferation to concanavalin A (Con A) or bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation. This non-reactivity cannot be reversed to a positive response by exogenous interleukin-2 (IL-2). The stimulation with Con A of spleen cells from newborn mice, in contrast to cells from adult animals, does not result in synthesis of mRNA for inducible 55,000 molecular weight (MW) IL-2 receptors (IL-2R). The failure of neonatal spleen cells to synthesize IL-2R mRNA is an intrinsic property of the cells themselves, and it is not due to activity of natural suppressor cells present in newborn animals. Since the expression of functional IL-2R represents one of the early and pivotal events in immune cell activation, we propose that the inability to synthesize IL-2R may be one of the primary reasons for the immunological immaturity of newborns.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Genetics, Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, Prague.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lipoldová
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zajícová
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Holán
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000276:immunology*; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002455:Cell Division / Q000276:immunology; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000276:immunology; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D051379:Mice; D008806:Mice, Inbred AKR; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D008934:Mitogens / Q000276:immunology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D008934:Mitogens; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D003208:Concanavalin A